Human rights bodies must reach the unheard, says CJI Surya Kant

• CJI Surya Kant said human rights institutions must be judged by their ability to reach people whose concerns go unheard

• He called for accountability, effective relief and systemic changes to prevent rights violations from recurring

• Speaking at the NHRC’s 33rd Foundation Day, he highlighted the role of state commissions and the importance of access to clean water

Human rights institutions must measure their effectiveness by whether they reach those least able to raise their voices, rather than simply by the number of complaints they resolve, Chief Justice of India Surya Kant said on Monday.

Addressing the National Human Rights Commission’s (NHRC) 33rd Foundation Day function at Vigyan Bhawan, he said constitutional commitments to dignity, equality, liberty and justice must find expression in people’s everyday lives.

The CJI said the commission had grown into an institution that people turn to for justice, particularly those in remote districts who may struggle to approach a court.

Over its 33-year history, the NHRC had registered more than 24 lakh cases and disposed of over 23 lakh, with a disposal rate exceeding 98 per cent, he said. These figures, he added, reflected instances in which serious violations had been brought to public attention.

However, identifying a violation was only one part of protecting human rights. Institutions must also secure accountability, provide meaningful relief and help bring about changes that prevent similar abuses, he said.

Referring to interventions concerning custodial torture and deaths, bonded labour, silicosis caused by industrial exposure and violations affecting marginalised communities, the CJI highlighted the need to address both individual grievances and wider institutional failures.

He warned that rights lose their meaning when they protect only those with power and influence. A right that fails the powerless, he said, is “a privilege with better branding”.

Among those requiring closer institutional attention, he identified undertrial prisoners who had never met their lawyers, undocumented migrant workers, elderly people abandoned by their families, persons with disabilities facing barriers and women whose concerns remained overlooked by protective systems.

The CJI also emphasised the importance of State Human Rights Commissions, saying their proximity to affected communities could make them better equipped to investigate local violations.

While the NHRC could establish standards and identify broader patterns, state commissions could hear complaints in local languages, visit affected areas and assess the circumstances surrounding an incident, he said.

Courts and human rights commissions had complementary responsibilities, he added. Courts must act when constitutional rights are breached, while commissions must investigate complaints, expose systemic weaknesses and bring neglected concerns to institutional attention.

The Foundation Day programme included a national conference on the theme, “Water as the Elixir of Life: Advancing Human Dignity through the Right to Water”. Discussions focused on restoring and protecting water bodies and safeguarding drinking water sources.

Welcoming the focus on water, the CJI said human rights were inseparable from basic daily needs, including a child’s access to clean drinking water.

NHRC chairperson justice V. Ramasubramanian, members Justice Bidyut Ranjan Sarangi, Vijaya Bharathi Sayani and Priyank Kanoongo, secretary general Piyush Goyal and other senior officials attended the function.

With IANS inputs